Dispensing packages

ABSTRACT

In a carton for dispensing strand material of substantial weight, inexpensive and relatively durable means for supporting the carton in the form of a corner knock-out is provided, whereby the weight is exerted on the two-sides of the carton, although supported by one hand.

IJile tales atent n91 Cavanagll et al.

[541 DISPENSING PACKAGES [75} Inventors: Ronald Patrick Cavanagh, Ste.

Genevieve, Allan Richard Wright, Montreal both of Quebec, Canida [73] Assignee: Northern Electric CompanyLimited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 22 Filed: July 13, 1971 [21] App]. No.: 162,232

52 user. ..229/52 B, 206/52 w 51 Int. Cl ..B65d 5/46, 865d 25/30 [58] Field of Search ..229/52 B, 51 D, 7 R, 17 R; 221/63; 206/52 W, DIG. 8

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,975,963 10/1934 Marsh.... ..229/17R [451Marcli 2d, 1973 lager ..229/17 R Antliff et a1 ..229/52 B Primary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothberg Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Att0rneyJohn E. Mowle [5 7 ABSTRACT In a carton for dispensing strand material of substantial weight, inexpensive and relatively durable means for supporting the carton in the form of a corner knockout'is provided, whereby the weight is exerted on the two-sides of the carton, a1though supported by one hand.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DISPENSING PACKAGES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to dispensing cartons and particularly those used in dispensing coils of strand material such as used in telephone wire installation work.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Canadian Pat. No. 844,964 issued June 23, 1970 to Harry M. Dillow et al discloses a strand material dispensing package aimed primarly at permitting wire installers to retrieve wire or strand easily and without the strand getting entangled.

Other types of packages, also widely used in this field, such as a simple carton with a small opening or a knock-out, to retrieve the strand through, in one side panel. of the carton, and another larger opening or knock-out in the opposite side panel to allow the user to thread the strand through the first opening.

The strandin any of the above mentioned packages is usually wound as a toroid (coil), either around a support which may be an'integral part of the package, or the strand toroid is self-supporting and is simply enclosed in the package. The inner end of the toroid is the retrievable end. This is particularly essential in the simple package case, so that the toroid might not move too much as the diameter of the toroid gets smaller.

One of the main objects of these packages is to enable installers to easily retrieve strand material without entangling. While the Canadian patent supra discloses a complicated package, the other package mentioned here which is also used by major telephone companies, is a simple carton. Both packages, though, lack the provision of a means for the specific purpose of holding or carrying the package. As a result, the first package, heavy if still fully loaded, is inconvenient to handle, and therefore expensive in terms of installation time. In the other package, the large opening in the one side of the carton is usually used by the installers to hold and carry the heavy package. Because, in the latter case, .the holding forces are perpendicular to the plane of the side panel, the carton is ripped, andthe wire, being retrieved from the inside end of the toroid, gets caught in the ruptured periphery of the large opening. The result is that, after rupture, the coil is disrupted and the wire cannot be retrieved without an undue loss of time and effort, if at all. Often the rest of the package is scrapped.

It is important hereto note that the installer is not busying himself mainly with the wire retrieval, rather he is usually performing the main installation work which requires skill. and concentration. For a considerable period of time, therefore, this problem has been plaguing some major telephone companies.

Canadian Pat. No. 608,046 issued Nov. 1', 1960 to Albert M. Antliff et al, discloses an invention titled Hand Grips for Cartons." The invention provides a hand grip integral with one wall of the carton and formed from it, and comprising inner and outer flaps adjoining along a common fold line. The flaps are foldable into the carton, whereby the inner flap braces itself against one or more walls of a corner of the carton.

Upon close scrutiny of the above patent, the invention it discloses proves to be of limited practicality, and

therefore limited utility, at least in the field of wire dispensing cartons, although it was intended mainly for that purpose.

Bearing in mind that a carton contains a coil of wire substantially circular in shape, the diameter of which is as large as would fit in that carton, for reasons of economy and rigidity, one can easily find that the dimensions of the free corner portion is quite limited. For example, in a one-foot square carton, and considering the substantially triangular area of the side panel in which the hand grip is to be formed, one finds that the bisector of the corner right angle is only approximately 2 A inches long where it meets the hypotenuse of the triangle which at this point is tangential to the outer periphery of the wire coil. Of these 2 A inches, constructing a hand grip according to the above patent would mean a very limited aperture size, permitting the insertion of at most two fingers of the hand of an adult male, such as a telephone company installer. This applies to both versions of the invention disclosed in the patent supra.

Moreover, human engineering factors, which are a necessary consideration here, reduce the practicality of such an invention. A certain amount of thoroughness is required in folding the hand grip, and making sure, everytime the carton is grabbed, that it is in proper position, and to have to do this with two fingers, simply is not in unison with human engineering requirements.

Moreover, the hollow hand grip is bound to collapse after a certain number of grabbings, unless the carton walls are excessively thick, which is economical loss.

Naturally, all the above disadvantages would be irrevelant if the contents of the carton, would leave larger free space in the corner to permit a large aperture. Or if the box was larger in size. Or if the contents were light in weight.

This, however, is not the case. Another, much simpler solution has to be found, one which not only takes the actualities of the installers job into account, but human engineering factors as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a simple and inexpensive means for holding and carrying packages such as used in dispensing wire or strand material. The

packages are usually manufactured from cardboard material or the like. Such a cardboard carton should support a substantial weight when carried, and should stand the resulting forces without rupturing. To achieve this, it was realized, that the exerted forces must not be perpendicular to the side panel from which the carton is supported. This is particularly important, if the supporting fingers or object is inserted beneath the surface bordering on a periphery cut in it far from the supporting edges and comers.

Thus, this invention provides an improvement in a carton having a junction of a first, second and third side panels, the first side panel having a removable knock out portion with two integrally common edges with the second and third side panels. The removable knock-out portion, upon removal, providing a suspension opening, whereby on suspension by the opening the weight of the package is exerted on the second and third side panels.

From the foregoing, it is clear that the two perpendicular components of the vertical weight are distributed between the second and third side panels. Resulting in the straining of the belt" composed of all the side panels surrounding the periphery of the first side panel. Forces are present along these surrounding side panels, which are usually capable of some elastic deformation in their respective planes, thereby damping the sudden movements associated with grabbing and carrying the carton.

Another improvement results from the fact that the weight of the package is being supported by areas at and near the junction of various side panels. As is well known, bends and corners are places of higher rigidity.

Another advantage of this invention is that it does not require any alteration of the manufacturing process already existing for such packages. Apart from the simple provision of one or two knock-outs or holes more than those already provided for in the process of manufacturing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An example embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an unopened carton;

FIG. 2 shows a partial perspective of a corner of the carton illustrated in FIG. 1 having an opened knockout; and

FIG. 3 shows a partial plan view of a corner of the carton illustrated in FIG. 1 with a knock-out.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT from the common point of the junction 14 to the point where it meets and substantially bisects the are 15.

In order to utilize the maximum space available, the line of perforations 16 should be as long as the difference between the radii of the circumscribing and inscribing circles 19 and 20, respectively, of the first side panel 11. The largest arc of perforations 15, is the one tangential to the inscribing circle at the point where the 5 line of perforations 16 substantially bisects the are 15.

The knock-out is opened in the usual manner by pushing along the perforations and 16. As is indicated in FIG. 2, the two halves of the removable portion of the knock-out l7 and 18 are bent to the inside the junction between side panel 12 and the movable portion 17. The same applies to the edge which is the junction of side panel 13 and the movable portion 18.

Upon supporting the carton, for example, by inserting the fingers through the opening and grabbing, the carton hangs with its first side panel 11 vertical. The weight of the total package, therefore, acts on the second and third side panels 12 and 13, and is substantially equally distributed thereon. Moreover, the

peripheral side lpanels of the carton com osed of the side panels 12, 3, and the two opposite 1 entlcal sides (not shown), being capable of elastic deformation in their respective planes, act as dampers (absorbers) to the sudden forces upon grabbing and while carrying the carton.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the weight of the package is not being exerted vertically to any one side panel. Rather, it is distributed on more than one side panel and is inclined thereon.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cardboard carton having first, second and third side panels, the improvement comprising:

said first side panel including a knock-out portion delineated by an arc of perforations extending between the common edges of said first side panel and said second and third side panels, the concave side of said are facing a common point of said first, second and third side panels, and by a line of perforations between said common point and a center point of said are, the length of said line of perforations being substantially equal to the difference between the radii of the circumscribing and inscribing circles of said first side panel. 2. The carton as defined in claim 1 in which said second and third side panels form narrow sides of said carton.

of the carton. This results in a fortified edge, which is 

1. In a cardboard carton having first, second and third side panels, the improvement comprising: said first side panel including a knock-out portion delineated by an arc of perforations extending between the common edges of said first side panel and said second and third side panels, the concave side of said arc facing a common point of said first, second and third side panels, and by a line of perforations between said common point and a center point of said arc, the length of said line of perforations being substantially equal to the difference between the radii of the circumscribing and inscribing circles of said first side panel.
 2. The carton as defined in claim 1 in which said second and third side panels form narrow sides of said carton. 